“Can I go show Kacey?” Bryce asked.
“We’ll show her when she’s feeling better. Go hang it on the refrigerator for me while I talk to your uncle Dylan for a minute.” His son’s sock-covered feet thumped across the hardwood floor as he ran from the room. “The farrier bills are astronomical. With you wanting to keep the horses, I had to cut costs. So, I asked her to cold-shoe them from now on.”
“No wonder she was mad.” Dylan eased off the floor and onto a chair. “That’s not her style. She hasn’t been able to take on new customers in months. She’s in high demand because of her superior craftsmanship. I like her work. Her knowledge has prevented a lot of problems. When our last farrier retired, she effortlessly slid into the position. Let her do her job the way she sees fit.”
Garrett sagged against the back of the couch. “If you wanted a silent partner, then you should have said so ahead of time.”
“I didn’t say that.”
“You asked me to go in fifty-fifty and that’s what I did. My fifty percent needs to cut costs in those stables, but you’re making it impossible. I can’t sell any horses. I can’t ask the farrier to save us money. You told me last week you’re happy with our feed distributor. What’s left? The veterinarian?”
“Don’t you dare.” Dylan braced his hands on his knees. “Lydia Presley knows each of my horses by name.”
“Our horses,” Garrett corrected. “A partnership shouldn’t be difficult to grasp considering you had one with Jax.”
“I accept our partnership, but I need you to focus on moving forward and making us money. I cut back all I could last year. When I asked you to run the stables, I didn’t mean for you to change anything. We have guests booked into the ranch the first of the month and we need to stick to our renovation schedule. Let’s try to avoid any further hiccups, please. I’ve had enough of those around here.”
“Fine.” Now Garrett needed to apologize to Delta tomorrow. He’d spent twenty minutes around the woman and already made an ass of himself. Not that he should care. The ranch employed her services and that was the extent of their relationship. “I need to feed my kids. At least the one that will eat.” He started for the kitchen and tripped over Bryce’s boots, causing him to stub his toe on the fireplace hearth. Totally his fault. He’d left them there. “Dammit, that hurts.”
“I have an idea.” Dylan slapped him on the back. “I’ll take the kids to my house, feed them and help Kacey with her homework. You need to let off some steam tonight and Kacey would probably enjoy spending time with Holly. Go into town, get a drink and a bite to eat and then pick them up when you’re ready.”
It was the best idea he’d heard all week. He needed to clear his head of the ranch, and that included Delta. The woman had already stuck in his mind like a fly to honey, and he didn’t need any more complications in his life.
Complication must be Garrett’s middle name. No sooner had he walked through the doors of the Iron Horse Bar & Grill, when he spotted Delta at the far end of the dimly lit bar. Alone. Apparently, her next stop hadn’t been a customer.
Garrett weighed his options. Walk out before she saw him, grab a booth in the back and pretend he never noticed her, or eat crow and get it over with. Delta’s gaze met his as she lifted a drink to her lips and froze. He could have sworn her shoulders sagged at the recognition, but between the neon beer sign behind her and the waitress temporarily blocking his view as she swept under the stools, he wasn’t a hundred percent certain. Delta lowered her glass and shook her head, destroying any illusion of subtlety, and then waved him over. Garrett had hoped for a burger and a beer, but it looked like he was eating crow for an appetizer. So much for unwinding.
Johnny Cash’s “Ring of Fire” played on the jukebox as he crossed the room and he couldn’t help but notice his boots hit the floor in time with the beat. Before Kacey was born, he and Rebecca had spent every Friday and Saturday night dancing around this very floor. He hadn’t expected the memory to be so vivid eight years later.
“I hope our conversation earlier didn’t drive you here.” Garrett pulled out the corner bar stool next to hers and sat down. “It’s not even five o’clock.”
“I could say the same to you.” Delta sipped at her drink. “I was hungry, frustrated and this is the only place in town that’s not decked out for Valentine’s Day.” Her face soured at the mention of the holiday.
“Bad breakup?” he asked.
“Something like that,” she mumbled, staring down at the amber liquid as she swirled it in the glass.
“I hear you.” Garrett motioned for the bartender. “It’s not my favorite either.” His wife had died four days before the holiday, reminding him every year of what he’d lost.
“Bad breakup for you, too?”
“Something like that.” If only it had been a breakup, maybe his heart would have survived.
Delta nudged a platter of nachos toward him. “Help yourself. I can’t eat all this on top of the sandwich I ordered.”
“Thanks.” Garrett took her cordiality as a positive sign and reached for a few of the neatly stacked napkins along the back edge of the bar.
“What can I get you?” the bartender asked.
“I’ll have whatever she’s drinking.”
One of Delta’s brows rose. “Brave man.”
“Why’s that?” Garrett couldn’t help noticing how naturally beautiful she was without a lick of makeup. Truth was, he’d noticed it the moment he first saw her, but he forced it to the back of his mind. He had no business admiring anyone the ranch conducted business with. It was unprofessional and he wasn’t interested in anything more.
“I’m drinking chipotle whiskey.” Her mischievous smile presented more of a dare than a warning. “I don’t know if you can handle it.”
“I’m sure I can handle it. I’m a man. We’re rugged.” Garrett hooked his boots on the stool’s footrest and followed Delta’s eyes to the television she remained transfixed upon...sports scores from last night’s games.
“If you say so,” she said, her attention still unwavering from the screen.
“Seriously?” If Dylan thought Delta was one of the nicest people he had ever met, his brother needed to get out more. “I guess I gave you some first impression, huh?”
“Listen, don’t get me wrong. I get it.” Delta leveled her gaze to his. “You’re trying to save money wherever you can. But are you aware I had started charging your uncle twenty percent less than all my other customers over a year ago to help ease some of the ranch’s financial burden? Then I extended your payment terms six months later. I’ve taken two significant hits from my largest customer and now I’m taking another one. I won’t lie to you. It hurts. But, I shouldn’t have acted or reacted the way I did.”
Well, if that hadn’t made him feel like more of a jerk he didn’t know what would. “I knew about the payment terms, which I hope to amend sooner rather than later, but I had no idea about the discount. I should be the one apologizing. I was a bit overenthusiastic earlier.”
“Just a bit.” Delta’s smile tightened.
The bartender set Garrett’s drink on the bar top. “Did you want to place a food order?”
Garrett looked over the glossy double-sided menu. “Bacon cheeseburger, medium rare with fries.”
“Sure thing.” The man turned to Delta. “Your order’s almost up. Do you want them to hold it and serve